Hydraulic ship-steering gear.



C. R. PRATT. HYDRAULIC SHIP STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I5, I9I7. A Patented Feb. 11, 1919.4

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Patented Feb. 11

C. R. PRATT. HYDRAULIC SHIP STEERING GEAR..

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I5, l9 l7.

, ITNESSES.-

c. R. PRATT@ HYDRAULIC SHIP STEERING GEAR.

62s A APPLICATION FILED IAN. I5. 19|?- Patented Feb' u 5 SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

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"El /Lz/ maf-W ATTORNEYS.

C. R. PRATT.

HYDRAULIC SHIP STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED 1/\N.15.l9!7A Patented' Feb. l1, 1919.

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TTORNEYSA C. R. PRATT. HYDRAULIC SHIP STEERING GEAR.

AlggylQ APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15| 19|?. 1L

5 sIIEEIs-sHEEI 5f ATTORNEYS.

L ATENE FFIQE.

CHARLES R. PRATT, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY C. SANFORD, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

HYDRAULIC SHIP-STEERING GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. ii., i919.

Application led January 15, 1917. Serial No. 142,346.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. PRA'rr, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Ship-Steering Gears, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hydraulic ship steering gear and hydraulic ram engines therefor.

In the case of hydraulic ship steering gear, the rudder, or more properly, `the tiller for the rudder, is usually operated by two or more rams. In general it is desirable to provide two independent ram engines, operating uponopposite sides of athwart-ship tiller; for while either of these ram engines is capable of operating the rudder independent of the other ram engine7 there is less looseness or back-lash if two engines be employed; moreover, it is sometimes necessary to take down one of the ram engines at sea, and where these ram engines are employed in duplicate this can be done without laying to the ship. Employin ram engines in duplicate also neutralizes t e stresses on the journals, and invarious ways produces -a more smooth running engine than can be obtained when a single ram engine is used.

Heretofore it hasbeenV common to construct each of these rain engines in the form of twohydraulic ram cylinders, placed end to end but spaced apart suitably, a single ram working in each such pair of ram cylinders; and these cylinders have commonly been secured direct to the deck, or deck frame, of the` ship, without regard to the warping which such deck or deck frame undergoes whenl the ship is laboring in a seaway; theresult has been straining of the cylinders or rams, excessive wear of the packing, and excessive wear of bearings, together with considerable liability .of destruction of the steering gear.

According to my invention, a central pedestal or frame member is provided, for attachment to the deck or deck frame, and the two ram cylinders of eachl engine are se- 570 cured to this pedestal or frame member, and not to the .ships deck or deck frame; and moreover, the ram is providedwithsteadying bearings in this frame. Since, by means of this frame or' pedestal, the ram engine is centrally supported, it is entirely relieved of stresses due to the warping of the ships frame. Moreover, I either connect the ram directly to the tiller by bearings which permit some change of relation between the ram and the tiller, such as may be necessitated by warping of the ships frame, or else I connect the ram to the tiller by long links having bearings with respect both to the tiller and to the ram, of such nature as provides freedom of movement to accommodate the structure to the warping of the ships frame.

My invention` consists inthe novel sup-- port for the ram engine herein described; in the novel means employed for connecting the ram of such engine to a ships tiller; and in various other features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Y

The objects of my invention are, to improve the ram engines of hydraulic steering gear; to provide a construction of ram engine .which may be mounted on a relatively contracted base and in which the ram and ram cylinders are so supported as not to be subjected to stress due to warping of the frame of the ship: to improve the connection of such rams to the rudder post or tiller or other means whereby the rudder is swung; and generally to provide a construction of steering engine which is compact and is more reliable than formerly employed hydraulic steering engines.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and will then point out the novel features in claims. In said drawings:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of one form of` my improved steering gear, the view showing two ram engines of similar construction connected by links to a rudder cross-head; one of the ram engines being shown partly in central horizontal section` and a portion of the tiller being similarly sectioned. y

Fig. 2 shows side elevation of the steeringengine shown in Fig. 1, a part being broken awaylto show the cross-head and associated parts.

.FigI ,3 shows a transverse vertical section through the cross-head on the line 3--3 of 105 Fig. 2. i A y Fig. 4 showsa transverse section of one of the spherical bearings employed in. consuch details are not shown herein.

nection with the. links of the engine; the particular' bearing shown in Fig. 4 being one of the tiller bearings, the section being taken on the line-4 4 of? Fig. 2.

f' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary axial section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, and shows the connection of the ram cylinders to the central frame or pedestal.

Fig. 6 shows a plan view of an alternative form of steering gear, comprising two ram engines directly coupled to opposite sides of a tiller.

Fig. 7 shows a. fragmentary side elevation and partial section of the steering gear shown in Fig. 6, and on a larger scale.

Fig. 8 shows a transverse section on t-he line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive: 11 designates a rudder post, 12 a tiller and 184413 designate duplicate hydraulic engmes or ram engines, each comprising a central frame structure 14 forming a support for the engine, two opposed ram cylinders 15 connected to such frame, and a common ram 16 for those ram cylinders, provided centrally with a cross-head 17. I have indicated each ram cylinder as provided at its end with a connection for the supply of working fluid from a suitable pump. As the present invention is entirely independent ot the details of the pump and controlling gear, Each cross-head 17 is provided with a transverse center pin 19 (see particularly the upper part of Fig. 1) upon which a-re mounted two vertical equalizing levers 20 connected at their ends by pivot pins 21; and links 22 connect these pivot pins to the tiller 12. I have shown these links 22 as providedwith spherical bearings at their ends, the same comprising ball members 24 on the pivot pins 21 of the ram engine, and on the pivot pins 25 of the tiller, and ball-socket yokes 26, of two part construction, as shown.

As will be noted particularly with refer ence to Fig. 5, the ram cylinders 15 are se cured to the frame 14 by massive bolts 27, and have no other support. The frame 14 1s short and `massive and hence does not itself warp with warping of the ships frarneg'so that neither the rams 16, norl the ram cylinders 15, nor the packing between said rams and cylinders, are exposed to stress d'ue to warping of the ships frame. The center pin 19 rides on ways 28 provided in this frame, and thereby the ram is prevented from rotating about its central axis and s0 possibly imposingr4 stresses upon certain parts of the mechanism. In practice, very slight clearance is provided between the slipper-shoes 29 of the center pin 19 and the ways 28, so that the weight of the ram is never carried by these ways 28. The equale lzing levers 20 equalize the pull or thrust` as the case may be, ofl the'twolinks 22 of each ram engine. For positively arresting the ram cross-head at either limit of its movement, so as to prevent contact of the ram with 4the end of either of the ram cylinders, the packing bushing or gland 30 of each cylinder is extended as at 31 to form a stop for the cross-head of the ram.

It will be observed that the connections described between the Vrams and the tiller provide universal flexible inelastic connection between each ram and the tiller; that is to say, connections which prevent binding of the bearings or strain on the connections, tiller or rams, due to warping of the ships frame and other change of position between the ram engines and the tiller. Of course it y has been common in the past to provide connections between the rain or rams and the tiller which provide for the normal angular motion of the tiller; but so far as I am aware, in the past, such connections did not provide for change of position between the ram engines and the tiller due to warping of the ships frame; which warping may either be a twisting in a plane transverse to the ships longitudinal axis, or may be a horizontal or `vertical flexure-of the ship as a whole. The connections of the ranrto the tiller herein described providea directcentral pull or thrust from the ram to the tiller without material side pressure on Vthe ram; and the universal joint connections betweenl the ram and the tiller prevent any lateral strain on thev ram due to warping of the ship. In the alternative construction illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, two ram engines are employed, as in Fig. 1, but in the Fig. 6 arrangement these ram engines are located on opposite sides of the rudder post 11 and arev directly connected to the tiller, here designated by character 12a; each rain, 16a,.having a central boss 32 carrying an equalizing ring 33 provided with trunnion pins 34 upon which are mounted bearing spheres 85, the spherical sockets 36 for which are carried by cross-heads 37 working in ways 38 of the tiller, 12a.

In this Fig. 6 construction the rains and ram cylinders may have their Vaxes either parallel with the ships axis or else atliwart ship; and for that matter, the axes of the rams and cylinders might be oblique with respect to the ships axis;V though this arrangement would be used only under exceptional conditions. As the tiller swings, with operation of the rams, the cross-heads 37 move in and-outin accordance with the angularity of the tiller. with Areference to the rains.` The eii'ect of this is that inthe hard-over position of the rudder, when the tiller is somewhat oblique tothe axis of. the rams, the cross-heads 37 are well outtoward thev ends '.of `the tiller, and, therefore exert, for that reason,- a greater. leverageon.

the tiller (than when in mid-position) to resist the excessive rudder reaction ,when the rudder is in hardoverposition; and at the same time the rams then'eirerta species of wedge-action on the tiller, through the crossheads 37, thereby increasing their edectiveness to resist the rudder reaction.

In the constructions shown in Figs. 6, 'i' and 8, for the support of the'rarn cylinders, I have provided a box-like frame member 3f) adapted to be secured to the deck of the ship,

- to which 'frame 39, the ram cylinders are secured, as indicated particularly in Fig. 7. This frame member 39 has the same advantages of compactness and short base for at tachment to the frame of the ship, as has the frame member 14 of the construction shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

This frame 39 is provided at its bottom With Ways 40 in Which Works a shoe 41 connected by a pin 42 projecting from the equalizing ring; whereby the ram is prevented from rotating.

In Fig. 7 43 designates a member secured to the deck or decl: frame of the ship and carrying a screw 44 (see also Fig. 8) having a threaded engagement With the frame 39; said screvv 44 serving as means for drawingl the frame 39 bodily out of the guide 38 of the tiller, in case it be necessary, for any reason, to disconnect one of the 'ram engines from the tiller, as, for example, in case repairs to one of the ram engines are necessary. 45 designates a clamping Wedge, and 46 a corresponding clamping screw whereby the frame 44 may be clamped down and thereby held both against lift and against end thrust of the rams.

What- I claim is:

1. In a hydraulic steering gear, the co1nbination of a tiller, hydraulic cylinders, rams therefor, an equalizing lever for each ram pivoted thereto, and means connecting said equalizing levers to said tiller.

2. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, hydraulic cylinders, rams therefor, an equalizingV lever for each ram pivoted thereto, and links connecting opposite ends of each said equalizing lever to said tiller.

3. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a double acting ram engine, an equalizing lever pivoted to the ram of said engine, and means connecting said equalizing lever to said tiller.

4. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a double acting ram engine, an equalizing lever pivoted to the ram of said engine, and means connecting opposite ends of said equalizing lever to said tiller.

5. In a hydraulic steering gear the combination of a tiller, a double acting ram engine, an equalizing lever pivoted to the ram of said engine, and links connecting oppc# site ends of said equalizing lever to said tiller.

6. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, hydraulic cylinders. rams therefor, an equalizing lever for each ram pivoted thereto, means connecting' said equalizing levers to said tiller, and guiding means for the rams .preventing rotation thereof.

7. In a hydraulic steering gear, the com bination of a tiller, hydraulic cylinders, rams therefor, an equalizing lever for each ram pivoted thereto, means connecting said equalizing levers to said tiller, and Ways parallel With the rams, and slippers carried by the rams and adapted to coact with said Ways.

8. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a double acting ram engine, an equalizing lever pivoted to the ram of said engine, means connecting said equalizing lever to said tiller, and guiding means for the rams preventing rotation thereof.

9. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a double acting ram engine, an equalizuing lever pivoted to the ram of said engine, means connecting said equalizing lever to said tiller, and Ways parallel v With the rams, and slippers carried by the rams and adapted to coactwith said Ways.

10. In a hydraulic steering gear, the co1n- Vbination of a tiller, hydraulic cylinders,

rams therefor, a center pin extending through each ram, equalizing means pivoted to said center pin and universal-joint means connecting said equalizing means to the tiller.

1l. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination or' a tiller, hydraulic icylinders, rams therefor, a center pin extending through each ram, an equalizing lever pivoted thereto and means connecting said equalizing lever to the tiller.

12. In a hydraulic steering gear, the coinbination of a tiller, a ram engine, a center pin carried by the ram, equalizing levers pivoted to said center pin on opposite sides thereof, pivot pins connecting the ends of said equalizing levers, and means connecting said pivot pins to the tiller.

13. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a ram engine comprising an open-center frame forming a support for the engine, opposed ram cylinders secured to the ends of said frame, and thereby de riving their sole support, and a ram for said cylinders passing through the frame.

14. In a hydraulic steering gear, the combination of a tiller, a ram engine comprising an open-center frame forming a support for the engine, opposed ram cylinders secured to the ends of said frame, and thereby deriving their sole support, and a ram for said cylinders passing through the frame, said frame having longitudinal ways,

and said ram having a center-pivot arranged to .be steadied by said Ways.

15. In a hydraulic steering gear, the co1n= bination of a tiller, a rain engine Comprising an open-center frame forming a support for the engine, opposed ram cylinders Secured to the ends of said frame, and thereby deriving their sole support, and a ram for said cylinders passing through the frame,

equalizing levers pivoted to said rain and 10 means operated lby said equalizing levers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subseribing Witnesses.

CHARLES R. PRATT.

Witnesses:

H. M. MARBLE, PAUL H. FRANKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

